Speaking at a Press Conference held on site in Birzebbuga Alternattiva Demokratika The Green Party Chairperson Dr Harry Vassallo said that the extension of development boundaries was not only illegal and unnecessary but was also contradictory. "The extension proposed by government with no external prompting at l-Ghelieqi tal-Papa could in no way be described as closing a gap in development" Dr Vassallo said. "Any person with minimal intelligence could see from the map itself that the proposed extension went far beyond the area necessary to close any possible gap in developed areas" Dr Vassallo added.
"The area proposed by government itself to be buried under construction was principally an old quarry which had been transformed into an agricultural tenement having its own water supply. The surrounding area is all fertile agricultural land. The proposal is obviously and blatantly in violation of the criteria which government has set itself in this illegal process and also unnecessary"
"The extensions are being proposed without consideration for the overall impact of such an extensive commitment of greenfield sites to development. There has been no process of consultation regarding the effects of the extensions on the country as a whole, the cost of new roads and of the supply of public utilities such as drainage, water and electricity supply, the added burden on the existing networks and supply systems"
"Any such major change in strategy must be subjected to a Strategic Environmental assessment in terms of EU law. The cabinet and parliament itself is also bound to the rule of law. No minister may decide to ignore laws made by his own administration whenever he thinks fit. Malta voted to join the EU precisely for this reason; to end arbitrariness and the legal aberrations caused by approaching elections"
"What we are facing is an acid test of our membership of the EU. If the government is allowed to ignore the SEA Directive with impunity, joining the EU with all its sacrifices shall be revealed to have been a deception." Dr Vassallo said " The present boundaries contain more than twice the availability required until 2020. There is no possible justification for these extensions other than electoral expedience"
"The present boundaries contain an availability of over 98,000 units without counting 23,000 permanently vacant dwellings and the vast number added on by the relaxation of height limitations at the last election." Dr Vassallo said. "There is no actual scarcity when MEPA itself through its published documents states that the requirement until 2020 is of no more than 43,000 units, a fraction of the over 120,000 presently available" Dr Vassallo added.
"The present extensions proposed in a blatantly unprofessional manner expose the electoral opportunism of the present government and make it no different from previous administration that sacrificed large swathes of out countryside in order to please developers and obtain funds for partisan purposes."
"This irresponsibility is also a danger to those who think they stand to profit most from the government's proposals. These extensions are adding to an unsustainable surplus and could themselves bring about a crisis in the property market never experienced before. Government is afraid to address such issues as rent reform and disincentives to hoarding by speculators and instead adds to a surplus without addressing the issue of property prices. It is inflating a property bubble already a major threat as it is" Dr Vassallo continued.
"In one move the government has destroyed any trace it might have had of environmental and social credentials. It's cohabitation with speculators and major developers is painfully obvious to everyone. It has preferred to do what speculators and developers want to serving the community and future generations. In securing an electoral warchest it threatens the property market and the life savings of hundreds of thousands of Maltese citizens and foreign residents. The government has become detached from the political reality which gives legitimacy to its power. Its claim to exercise such power has become a political violence, defying the planning process according to Maltese law and the EU directives which bind us all" he ended.'